Nelson Mandela's daughter Makaziwe does not appreciate the rabid media attention surrounding her father's deteriorating health state. She describes the invasive coverage of Mandela's seemingly impending death as "bad taste" and "racist."

"There's sort of a racist element with many of the foreign media, where they just cross boundaries," Makaziwe tells state broadcaster SABC, via Reuters. "It's truly like vultures waiting when the lion has devoured the buffalo, waiting there for the last of the carcass. That's the image we have as a family."

Still, Makaziwe gave a status update on 94-year-old Mandela's health condition. "I won't lie, it doesn't look good," she says. "But as I say, if we speak to him, he responds and tries to open his eyes. He's still there".

President Jacob Zuma visited Mandela twice in 24 hours on June 27 and learned from doctors that the former South African president's condition had improved. "He is much better today than he was when I saw him last night. The medical team continues to do a sterling job," Zuma says in a statement. The presidency says Mandela remains "critical but is now stable."

Makaziwe asks that media and citizens respect her family's privacy. "If people say they really care about Nelson Mandela, then they should respect that. They should respect that there is a part of him that has to be respected," she says. "It is only God who knows when the time to go is."